CUNUFF – Results 2007

Judges

Leonard Cox

Producer, Executive Director of Communications at Columbia University

After working on his first film, The Mark of the Maker (1991 nomination for Best Short Documentary), Cox co-founded River Films with award-winning filmmaker Macky Alston. Together Cox and Alston produced The Killer Within (premiered Toronto International Film Festival 2006, to air on the Discovery Channel 2008), and Questioning Faith (named one of the top 10 independent films of 2001 by CNN, premiered Full Frame Film Festival and the Hot Docs International Film Festival and aired on HBO 2002 -2004). Independently, Cox directed and produced, The Dwelling Place, a short documentary about a shelter for homeless women in New York Cityâ€™s Hellâ€™s Kitchen (to be released in 2008). Cox is the former director of communications for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and has served as a media consultant for over 30 years.

The product of the Northern California skate board and rock climbing scene, Gardner Loulan has also been heavily involved in everything from student government to theater to sports. Also dedicated to serving those less fortunate than himself, Gardner attends the Jesuit-based Fordham University and leads service projects across the country. Gardner is now bringing his interests to TVs and college campuses everywhere with mtvU.

~ Best Cinematography ~
Real Magic Gil Levanon from School of Visual Arts

~ Soundtrack Award (Best Use of Music & Sound) ~
Captain Valedor Kent Sanderson from New York University

Official Selections: Finalists

Cereal Monogamy Directed by Anton Delfino from Cogswell Polytechnical College

Tempted by the flavor of variety, Frank must choose between the taste he can always depend on and one that is promiscuously delicious.

Beneath the Surface Directed by Nayeem Mahbub from Oberlin College

A father tries to throw his young son the best birthday party he can in their post-apocalyptic underground bunker.

Captain Valedor Directed by Kent Sanderson from New York University

A young boy in the 1950â€™s reimagines a family conflict as a rollicking, black-and-white outer space fantasy with himself as the ultimate hero â€“ Captain Valedor.

Lunar Loons Directed by Tom DesLongchamp from Rhode Island School of Design

A peak at the people behind moon landings.

NON Directed by Peter Alex Duncan from School of Visual Arts

NON shows the reoccurring nightmares of the writer/director through the use of the actual visuals from his own dreams. All the while, the soundtrack defines the film’s sense of paranoia.

Canvas Directed by Elena Ni Megalos from Columbia University

This stop motion short explores modest themes including love, art, and heartbreak. It features a rabbit, a duck, a mouse, and an enjoyable soundtrack.

Case & Crowbar Directed by Kyle Eaton, Cinematography by Andrew Evans from Montana State University

Oedipus and the Mother Lovers, a struggling band of four guys, encounter the charming band manager, Ray. Believing his promises, they attempt to raise money for the biggest show of the year by stealing quarters from car wash vacuum machines.

Earl Boone is Alive Directed by Tom DesLongchamp from Rhode Island School of Design

As a storm approaches, a girl and her college-bound boyfriend meet for one last time, fearing that their love will fade away.

The Detention Teacher Directed by Ben Weeks from Northwestern University

After a fight with his wife over the fact that they donâ€™t talk anymore, a high school detention teacher forces two people who would never talk otherwise â€“ a beautiful girl and a geeky boy â€“ to have a conversation for an entire detention period.

Filmmaker Bios

* – denotes that filmmaker was present at the festival

Anton Delfino

Cogswell Polytechnical CollegeCereal Monogamy
Anton Delfino is an aspiring writer/director who hails from San Jose, CA. Since 2004, he has collaborated with Revival Arts Productions and Bindlestiff Studio, for whom he has written and directed several short plays. His recent production, Cereal Monogamy, is a digital short he wrote, produced, and directed to complete his undergraduate degree in Digital Motion Picture at Cogswell Polytechnical College in Sunnyvale, CA. Anton recently finished The Love Edition 2: Turned On, where he directed a short play called Overdue (Mike Ricca, writer). He is currently writing several short screenplays and dabbling with the idea of taking on a feature-length screenplay.

*Nayeem Mahbub

Oberlin CollegeBeneath the Surface
Nayeem Mahbub is from Bangladesh. He’s a senior at Oberlin College majoring in History and Cinema Studies. He made “Beneath the Surface” on an incredibly low budget during a study-away semester at NYU’s Tisch School of Arts in 2006. He’s currently working on his senior Honors film, and like many college seniors, is not exactly sure what’s going on after he graduates. But he eventually hopes to be making films…

*Kent Sanderson

New York UniversityCaptain Valedor
Born in New York City and raised nearby on a steady diet of serials, comic books, and old Warner Bros. cartoons, Kent eventually attended New York University, graduating in 2006. He now lives and works in New York City, residing on the Upper East Side. He’d like to thank his tireless producers Kevin Hoyer, David Richardson, and Chris Golio, without whom “Valedor” would have never come to life, as well as his parents, who originally supplied him the archaic influences listed above.

*Elena Ni Megalos

Columbia UniversityCanvas
Elena Megalos has been fiddling with her father’s video camera for some years now. A Columbia College junior, she studies English and Creative Writing and hails from Venice, California. She would like to thank Dad and David on this one if ‘thank you’s’ are permitted.

Tom DesLongchamp

Rhode Island School of DesignLunar LoonsEarl Boone is Alive
Tom DesLongchamp is a 22 year old animation major from Seattle, Washington. He is currently a senior at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is married to Jessica Phoenix and has a cat named Renton. Tom enjoys collecting musical instruments, looking out windows, playing classic video games, and being on roofs–the higher, the better. His website is tomthinks.com.

*Peter Alex Duncan

School of Visual ArtsNON
Peter Alexander Duncan (21) is an undergraduate thesis student at the School of Visual Arts. Mr. Duncan hopes for the best with this being his first film festival. He sees each opportunity to show his work as a chance to connect with others without ever saying a word himself, and he believes there is a little magic in that. His undergraduate films range from short narratives, to mockumentries, to video art. He likes nice happy things like dandilions, puppies, and albuterol inhalors. He hopes everyone enjoys the film.

*Kyle Eaton

Montana State UniversityCase & Crowbar
Kyle Eaton currently lives in Bozeman, Montana and in the spring of 2007, he will complete his BA in film (media/theatre/arts) at Montana State University. He works as a writer/director/cinematographer/editor on several independent short films including narrative, experimental and documentary. His next project is currently in pre-production and is scheduled for production this summer.

*Kimberly Parker

John’s Hopkins UniversityThe Kiss
Kimberly Parker is currently a senior at Johns Hopkins University, where she double majors in Writing Seminars and Film and Media Studies. Next year, she will be attending NYU film school. “The Kiss” was her first solo film, shot on 16mm. She would like to thankProfessor John Mann, Helena Franceschi, Ashley Jones, and Maxwell Sindell.

*Colin Fowler

Keene State UniversityFootsteps: The Buddy Chancellor Story
Colin Fowler is a 22 year old senior majoring in Film Production at Keene State College in New Hampshire. His video short â€œFootsteps: The Buddy Chancellor storyâ€ was co-written by its star Rob Sheldon and made with no budget to speak of. Although unsure of the future Colin knows it will be a flourishing one.

*D. Christian Hagerman

Cooper UnionTulip Delusion
Born in Virginia, D. Christian Hagerman is graduating from the Cooper Union. Coming from a background in painting and sculpture, his video installation work has transformed into 16mm narratives, such as Tulip Delusion.

*Gil Levanon

School of Visual ArtsReal Magic
Born and raised in Israel, Ms. Levanon moved to NYC five years ago to explore her obsession with filmmaking. She discovered an amazing group of people who fed her creative palette and together shared the same desire and obsession to share their life experiences through visual storytelling. “Real Magic” is her sixth short and the most personal journey she has taken so far.

Ben Weeks

Northwestern UniversityThe Detention Teacher
Ben graduated from Northwestern University in 2006 with a degree in Radio/Television/Film and as a part of the school’s Creative Writing for the Media Program. While in school, he directed the short comedy film FLY, which won three awards and screened at fifteen festivals, including the Philadelphia International Film Festival. Ben wrote and directed The Detention Teacher during his senior year, and he is grateful for the new friendships that the film gave him late in his college life.